Civil Rights Pioneer Du Bois Recalled In Western Mass.

Massachusetts is marking the 50th anniversary of the death of one of its best known native sons, civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois.

The Berkshire Eagle reports that officials of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst announced on Saturday it will catalog nearly 100,000 documents, including photos, letters and essays in the university's possession since 1973.

Du Bois, an early civil rights activist, was born in Great Barrington in 1868. He died on Aug. 27, 1963.

UMass anthropologists are taking a new look at Du Bois' home site to better understand his early work. Amilcar Shabazz, a UMass professor, said the legacy of Du Bois should be better understood and appreciated.

Du Bois was remembered in Great Barrington with readings of his work and tours of his former home site.